Arastichus capipunctata Gates, Hanson, Jansen-Gonzalez & Zhang, 2022

Zhang, Y. Miles, Gates, Michael W., Hanson, Paul E. & Jansen-Gonzalez, Sergio, 2022, Description of a Neotropical gall inducer on Araceae: Arastichus, gen. nov. (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) and two new species, Journal of Hymenoptera Research 92, pp. 145-172 : 145

Arastichus capipunctata Gates, Hanson, Jansen-Gonzalez & Zhang sp. nov.

Figs 6 , 7 , 21-23

Diagnosis.

Arastichus capipunctata can be distinguished from all other known species through the bilobed mesoscutum at the posterior margin (Fig. 23 ), and the numerous large punctures on the face (Figs 21 , 22 ). The coloration of both males and females are uniformly brown (Figs 6 , 7 ). Females have three anelli.

Material examined.

Holotype Costa Rica • [1F]; Guanacaste 9km S Santa Cecilia, Estacion Biologica Pitilla , 600 m 18.XII.2010. L. Chavarria leg.; USNMENT01788075; deposited in USNM . Paratypes: [44F, 26M]; same information as holotype; USNMENT01829180-250; USNM. [4F, 4M]; same information as holotype; ANIC. [4F, 4M]; same information as holotype; BMNH. [4F, 4M]; same information as holotype; CNCI. [4F, 4M]; same information as holotype; MNHN. Mexico • [3F, 4M]; Veracruz, San Andres Tuxtlas , Est. Biol. Tropical Las Tuxtlas, 2.III. 2017, 124 m 18°35'22.1"N, 95°5'24.9"W, G. Amancio, A. Aguirre, F. Ozul leg., ex galled fruit Philodendron radiatum ; USNMENT01788065-69; USNM. [1F, 1M]; same information as before; CNIN. [46F, 52M]; same information as before; MZUCR .

Description.

Holotype female. Body length 2.9 mm. Color: Brown except for the following yellow: scape, pedicel, lower face, prepectus, legs (except metacoxa brown), wing veins white to brown (Fig. 6 ).

Head. 1.45 × as broad as high, with large punctures (Figs 21 , 22 ); anterior tentorial pits with epistomal groove extending ventrally. Supraclypeal area glabrous; clypeus bilobed. Lower margin of eyes slightly sunken; malar suture distinct; malar space 0.37 × eye height, asetose beneath eye in elongate microreticulate area; frons protuberant. Preorbital carina absent; intrascrobal area divergent dorsally to laterad anterior ocellus, delimiting shallow equilateral triangular depression in front of anterior ocellus. Ratio of LOL:OOL:POL as 1:2.1:2.5. Vertexal seta 0.45 × eye height; vertexal suture rounded at inner eye margin (Fig. 21 ); occipital margin without transverse, sinuate carina. Head posteriorly lacking postgenal lamina, postgena with ventral depression near ventral margin.

Antenna. (Fig. 6 ) ratio of scape (minus radicle): pedicel: A1: A2: A3: F1: F2: F3: F4: F5: club as 74:14:1:1:2:18:18:18:18:16:16; A1 constricted medially; A2 transverse; one row of MPS on all funicular segments, erect setae at 45° angle to angle to funicular segment, shorter than the funicular segment to which it is attached (Fig. 6 ).

Mesosoma. 1.27 × as long as broad. Pronotum with two sets of setae posterolaterally. Midlobe of mesoscutum 0.88 × as long as broad; smooth, with one pair of adnotaular setae; posterior margin of mesoscutum bilobed (Fig. 24 , arrow). Notauli complete, shallow. Scutellum 0.90 × as long as broad, effaced imbricate, with two pairs of setae; scutellum lacking submedian scutellar grooves, posterior margin rounded. Propodeum raised medially, laterally imbricate, with paraspiracular carina complete. Prepectus triangular, broadly rounded posteriorly, imbricate. Mesepimeron smooth anteriorly. Epicnemium imbricate. Metapleuron without circular fossa that is at least half as wide as propodeal spiracle. Fore wing with ratio of M:PMV:S as 9:1:4 (Fig. 6 ); SMV with three setae on dorsal surface.

Metasoma. Finely imbricate; setose along the posterior edges of each gastral tergite; gastral sternites fused or weakly divided; third valvula extends beyond gaster.

Male. Overall morphology and coloration as in female (Fig. 7 ). Body length 2.9 mm. Antennal ratio of scape (minus radicle):pedicel: A1:F1:F2:F3:F4:F5:F6:club as 25:8:1:2:17:17:17:17:16:9; scape with distinct ventral plaque in apical ½ (Fig. 7 ), funicular segments clavate basally, with whorl of setae extending ~1.5x length of the funicular segment to which it is attached. MPS sparse and located at midlength; clava with basal whorl and apical setae, MPS located at apex (Fig. 7 ). Genitalia: phallobase less than twice as long as broad, digitus with tooth-like projection on anterior margin, aedeagus broad, with apex rounded (Fig. 27 ).

Variation.

Both sexes: setation and sculpture variable; sometimes with faint traces of submedian scutellar grooves. Females: length of body 2.9-3.2mm, SMV with 2-3 setae. Males: length of body 2.4-2.9mm.

Etymology.

Named for the distinctive punctate head.

Biology.

Reared from Philodendron radiatum .

Distribution.

Costa Rica and Mexico.

Figures

Figure 27. Male genitalia of Arastichus spp. based on photographs of slide-mounted specimens. Dsp digital spine; Aed aedeagus; Dqt digitus; Dsp d igital spine; Phl phallobase; Prm paramere; Vsl volsella.

Figure 6 - 7. Lateral habitus of Arastichus capipunctata 6 holotype female 7 paratype male.

Figure 21 - 25. Arastichus capipunctata 21 frontal view of head 22 dorsal view of head 23 dorsal view of mesosoma, arrow pointing to the bilobed posterior margin of mesoscutum 24 - 25 Arastichus gibernau 24 frontal view of head 25 lateral view of mesosoma, arrow pointing to the circular fossa on the posterior corner of metapleuron.